I want to share with you some profound insights from John’s Gospel, chapter 20, verse 29. Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This passage opens a window into the spiritual journey from doubt to faith. Today, I invite you to explore this journey with me—a journey that challenges believers to live beyond what is immediately visible.
The Journey of Faith Begins
I want to begin by recounting the story of a young man whose journey in faith was ignited through a tearful conversation with a trusted Christian friend. His Christian journey, unbeknownst to him, had commenced long before this catalytic moment. Early that very day, he was moved by what he perceived to be God’s personal call: “Come and truly follow me.” That night, he found himself responding to this call on his knees. This transition from doubt to faith is one he would come to experience continuously, learning not to question whether Jesus is, indeed, Lord and God.
Thomas and His Moment of Revelation
In our Gospel reading, Thomas’s journey from doubt to faith took place over a week. Yet, like all believers, his faith was meant to grow ever more steadfast. On the evening when Christ first appeared to his disciples, Thomas was absent, doubting until he could see the evidence of Jesus’s wounds. Despite the brutality of Jesus’s death, what Thomas needed was that tangible proof, and Jesus, in His grace, provided it. Jesus met Thomas’s doubt, not out of obligation but out of mercy, to elicit faith from him.
This transformative encounter changed Thomas’s perspective forever. When Jesus appeared, not bound by locked doors, standing before him in His resurrected body, Thomas’s doubt melted into unequivocal belief, prompting his exclamation: “My Lord and my God.”
Reflecting on Our Own Journey
This journey from doubt to faith is one that speaks to many of us today. Standing with Thomas, waiting to be moved from doubt to faith, is a common position. Until we make that journey ourselves, we truly have not begun to live the resurrected life. The assurance that belief must transition from the mind to the heart is central to experiencing the life God offers abundantly.
Jesus’s words, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe,” carry a promise of blessing. True belief is dynamic, it involves movement and action. It’s not merely what we think but what we do with our faith that defines us.
Faith in Action
Our faith must not exist merely as a mental exercise or private belief. It is the root from which our actions stem. As James aptly puts it in his letter, faith without works is dead. True faith is demonstrated in how we live our lives daily.
This active faith points not to our capabilities, but to our confidence in God and His promises. When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, for instance, we are not merely professing words but affirming the God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our confidence lies entirely in God, not ourselves.
The Call to True Belief
I urge you to contemplate whether you have embraced belief in Jesus, not just intellectually but with true conviction. The journey from doubt to faith is personal, one that requires engaging with others, absorbing wisdom, and embracing the community of believers.
Thomas teaches us to be open to the testimony of others and to receive Jesus as Lord. Through this, we receive new life and continue our journey of growing in faith and obedience.
Conclusion
Returning to the story of the young man, his faith journey marked a new chapter when the Risen Lord became real to him. It was a profound awakening to Jesus’s presence that had been with him all along. Is today the day for you to commence this journey? Or perhaps God is guiding you to share this profound journey with someone else in need.
Let us pray for guidance and strength, as we travel from doubt to faith in the light and love of the Risen Christ. Amen.